Tide-lock power apparatus.



J. J. MILLER.

TIDE LOCK POWER APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FIL} JD AUG.12, 1912.

1,067,09, Patented July 8, 1913.

which the following is a full and exact deii'fiiiriin tiitifriftfililt? TIDE-LOCK POWER APPARATUS.

ll .tMSTiAMEl.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pat ciit ed July 8, M3;

Application filed August 152, 191.). Serial No. 7141.612.

To (/71 Iii/mm it may concern I lie it known that; l, Jo'iiN JOSPUA Mir.- Lilii, a citizen of the United, States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented an Improved. 'llidc-l iock Power Apparatus, of

seription.

lhis invention relates to an improved itleans tor controling the tides and obtaining power theretrain, and its principal objects are theprovision oi. simple and convenient apparatus, having the several tea hires and advantages herein s' 'iccitieil, which will be etl'ectual to retain and conline a large volume of sea water at high tide and utilize the same in a continuous, uniform, and etlicient manner, in the development of mechanical power.

This invention is particillarly applicable to low and level tide lands having coiisiderable area, and which are periodically eovcred each day by the tide water, the invention comprising two adjacent and adjoining sections of tide land having a partition wall therebetween. gates at the entrance to the tide land sections which areautomatically controlled by the flow of the tide and which are designed to admit the tide Water to the section having the higher level and prevent a return flow of the water to the sea, and which are designed 'to release the tide water from the section having the lower level when the tide has ebbed to its lowest level, and a water Wheel or other mechanical device mounted in a position to be operated by the flow of the tide water from the higher to the lower ofsaid tide land sections.

The principles herein related may be enibodied into any suitable form oi" mechanism and arrangement of parts, provided that they shall be so relatively proportioned and combined as to operate in the manner here-- indesoribed and to perform the :t'uiictions hereinenumerated, and, therefore, for the purpose of explanation, a preferred form is shown in the accompanying drawings, Wh618011- Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a tide land to which my apparatus has been applied, disclosing the location of the automatic gates in the division wall between the land and the sea, and the mechanical means for developing power. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the water wheel for developing vided; in which automatic gates vrcspeetively located. llaoh gate is provided with leaves which are pivoted to shafts f) 30 power, and hip. B a perspective view of the iiiitoiiiatic gates which control the flow of the tide.

lakerelerence characters apply to like parts in the several views of the invention.

into sections l and t2, cach section being inclosed by an outer suitable concrete wall 3 and a partition wall t, common to both sections. it is to he understood that, these sections may be irregular in 'l'orin and arranged to conform with the natural depression loi'iiiiiig the tide land, but are of approxi-' inatcly equal area, so that the one may be capable of receiving the water delivered by the other sectioin \Valls 3 and .lare to be higher than the highest tide water. A'twthe seaward ends oi said sectioi'is, an entrance passage 5 and an exit passage 6 are preand 8, are

and '10, respectively, the leaves oi. gate? being arranged to swing inwardlvto admit the tide water to section] when the tide is at its highest level. and the leaves of the other. gate being arranged to swing oiit- 35 wardly to release the tide water from scction 2 when the tide'is at its lowest level. A contrary flow or current ol the tide. will ell'ect the closure ol either gate aiitoinatically. Hhalts 9 and it), are braced by transverse liars it which are embedded in the concrete wall on either side ol: the openin I I 4 the gate leaves are sulliciently wide to abut obliquely against the side walls when closed,

which permits them to be opened by the tide currents. At some point in said partition wall a suitable pit l2 is located having a water wheel lit mounted therein. In the drawing an oveimsliot design of wheel is shown, but any desired toriii of wheel or water motor may be ciii iloved tor the dcvelopnicnt oi power. A tluiiie 1,-l delivers the water from the higher level, to the wheel. The bottom ot said lluinc is made approxi matcly twelve inches lower than the highest tide level. A guard l5 is provided for each of said auton'iatie gates, the said guard being made of a heavy and llexible material, pref-- erahly of reinforced rubber. and is designed to prevent a leakage through the hinge coniiections of said gate leaves.

111 the drawing a single water wheel or oping appliances.

unit for the development of mechanical power is shown, but several of such units may be employed if desired.

In carrying out my invention I do not wish to be limited to the, precise construction exhibited in the drawings, but reserve the right to make variations, alterations, and modifications, such as length and other dimensions of the water wheel, of the gates, and of the basins or reservoirs comprising the sections of tide land, also as to the number of gates, wheels, and style of motor, also to make the retaining walls of earth where practical, and other suitable constructions to meet the requirements in compliance with advantages of operation, but which at all times conform to and are included within the scope of the appended claim. It is to be understood that the area of the reservoirs shall be such as to hold sufficient Water for the'continuous operation of the power developing appliances, and also that the lower reservoir or basin shall be deepened sufficiently to hold the water until released and without interference with the power devel- Arrows indicate the tide movements.

I claim as my invention:

The combination with a concrete Wall incl -sing tide lands, of a partition wall dividmg said lnclcsed area 1nto two sections, said walls being higher than the highest tide level, and'having an entrance passage communicating one section with the sea, and an exit passage communicating the other section with the sea, automatic gates in said passages, one of said gates having swinging leaves adapted to open and admit the inflowing tide to one of said sections and close against its return movement, the other of said gates having swinging leaves adapted to open and release the tide water from the other section, and close against the inflowing tide, flexible and Water-proof guards attached to the leaves of said gates, a wheel pitin said partition .wall, a water wheel in said wheel pit for developing power, a

fiume to conduct the water from one of said sections to said water wheel, and means for bracing said gates, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature'to the foregoing specification, this 5th day of August, in the year 1912.

J ()HN-J OSHUA MILLER.

In the presence of J. W. MASTER, F. M. KEENEY. 

